Power restored for in Cambridge area, spokesperson says

Harvard Square to Central Square to Kendall Square were without power

NSTAR spokesperson Mike Durand confirmed power was restored at 6:30 p.m. Thursday after a major power outage plunged a large part of Cambridge into the dark.

The outage extended from Harvard Square through Central Square to Kendall Square and East Cambridge.

"A large portion of the city was affected," said Cambridge police spokesman Dan Riviello. About two hours after the blackout, power began to come back on in parts of the city.

NSTAR's preliminary investigation identified the piece of equipment believed to have caused the outage, Durand said, and it was taken out of service.

Cambridge police sent officers to intersections to help with traffic because the signals were out. According to the NSTAR website, 28 percent of the city was in the dark at the height of the outage, which represents about 17,000 customers.

"We're investigating exactly why the outage is happening. It is connected to a transmission-line issue," Durand said.

The MBTA reported significant delays on the Red Line because of problems at its Kendall Square Station. Cambridgeside Galleria said the outage forced it to shut down at 4:30 p.m.

Traffic on many roads was gridlocked.

"It's definitely a bear out there. We are asking people to use caution and have patience," said Riviello.